True or False? The Myths of the Canadian Seal Hunt Uncovered

Myth: People in favor of the Canadian seal hunt may argue that, although more than 365,000 seals are slaughtered, they are at least killed in a humane manner.
Truth: Over the past five years, the International Fund for Animal Welfare has submitted video evidence of more than 660 violations of the Marine Mammal Regulations - including the dragging of conscious seal pups across the ice with sharpened boat hooks, the stockpiling of dead and dying animals, beating and stomping seals, and skinning seals alive - to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. To date, not a single charge has been laid in response. In 2002, an international team of veterinary experts attended the hunt. They observed sealers at work, and then performed post-mortems on 73 seal carcasses. Their study concluded that up to 42% of the seals they examined were likely skinned alive. Does this sound humane to you?

Myth: Some people may justify the seal hunt by saying that all Canadians are in favour, and that it is a part of Canadian history.
Truth: Living in teepees was a strong part of Canadian History too, but do we still do that? No, we don't. According to an Angus Reid Group poll released in September, 1997, 85% of Canadians oppose the killing of seal pups under a year old, 82% object to the trade in seal penises, and 75% oppose government subsidization of the hunt, including a majority of Newfoundlanders.


Myth: People often justify the seal hunt by saying that it is humane because only the old seals are killed, not the baby seals.
Truth: 85% of Canadians define a baby seal to be under one year of age. Today, more than 95% of the seals killed in the hunt are under 3 months of age. And while harp seals are protected until they shed their white coats (at about 12 days of age), one hundred sealers (including one third of the 1996 Executive and a former President of the Canadian Sealer's Association) have faced charges for illegally selling the skins of protected seal pups.

Myth: The most common argument in favour of the Canadian seal hunt is that it is important to the economy of Atlantic Canada.
Truth: It is estimated that the total value of the seal hunt to Atlantic Canada equals the annual revenues of one McDonald's outlet. According to the industry's own figures, commercial sealing only accounted for 0.06% of Newfounland's GDP in 1997.

And that, my friends, is the terrible reality of seal hunting. Not only does the seal hunt badly tarnishes Canada's international image (putting at risk other legitimate industries, such as tourism), but it is an unhumane and old fashioned practise that needs to be put to an end. Stay tuned for ways that you can help stop the seal hunt!